Kiev, January 18, 2019
Photo: spzh.news The head of the schismatic nationalist church in Ukraine, “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko will be enthroned as primate on February 3.
“I would like to officially announce today that the enthronement will take place on February 3,” Dumenko said on Thursday at the presentation of a new book by the primate of the Uniate church in Ukraine Svyatoslav Shevchuk, which was broadcast on Facebook by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Dumenko invited the Uniate head to the ceremony and reiterated that the “new church” of Ukraine and the Greek Catholics should develop cooperation.
In a recent interview, Shevchuk explained that Dumenko’s group and the Uniates have the common goal of eventually uniting in one structure that they envision and hope will be recognized by both Constantinople and Rome.
Poroshenko writes in the description of the video on Facebook: “The emergence of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine is a common victory of the entire Ukrainian society. And a great role in its unity, in explaining the importance of spiritual independence for every citizen belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and its Supreme Archbishop. Thanks To His Beatitude.”
Dumenko was elected as the primate of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” at the “unification council” on December 15, and received a tomos of autocephaly from Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul on January 6. The tomos names the new group the “Holy Church of Ukraine.”
The canonical Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry was enthroned in Kiev on August 17, 2014, after being elected by the Bishops’ Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on August 13. Representatives from 12 of the world’s 15 Orthodox Churches were present for the joyous event, including Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who read out a letter from Patriarch Bartholomew “to the legitimate and canonical 122nd Metropolitan of Kiev Onuphry, recognized by all the Local Churches.”
Pat. Bartholomew later changed his mind and informed His Beatitude Met. Onuphry in October. that he holds the title and position of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine uncanonically.
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